Record number of representatives urge appropriators to restore Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding

A letter circulating in the House of Representatives since February in response to President Obama’s proposed budget closed on Monday with a record number of 55 signatories. The president’s budget would cut $50 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative–a popular program aimed at cleaning up toxic sediment, restoring wildlife habitat, and reducing the threat from invasive species. The letter, circulated by Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) urges appropriators to restore Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to $300 million–the level currently appropriated for fiscal year 2016.